General vs. Vocational Education: What's the Difference?

Education has a tremendous impact on individuals and on society, so much so that entire industries have been built on the development and execution of meaningful education in this country and many others. Most people agree that education is a positive thing. The legal requirement of basic education in all developed nations supports this fact. However, the role that education plays in society and in individual lives is sometimes debated. There are those who think that people should primarily be educated to perform a skilled job, otherwise known as vocational education. Others feel that the whole mind should be expanded using a broad body of general knowledge. This is considered general education. Each of these educational ideals have their own advantages and disadvantages, as well as influences on society. Considered carefully, these ideals can create the foundation of an educational experience that enables a student to reach his or her highest potential in the workplace and in life.

Vocational education is as old as humanity itself. Any time young poeple are handed down essential skills for accomplishing important tasks, vocational education is occurring. From hunting and gathering to engine repair, and from grinding wheat to nuclear medicine, vocational training is, and has always been, the backbone of culture. We all must know a skill to survive. Currently, vocational education in the U.S. accomplishes several goals within a relatively short period of time. It readies people to become productive tax paying citizens that will strengthen the community and tax base. This can be done in 2-4 years, depending on the degree, A.A.S. or B.S., and involves less of a financial commitment than a general education degree. People who finish their degree can immediately enter the job market and, with periodic continuing ed. courses in their field, can stay on the cutting edge of technology and trends. This is an important aspect of vocational education when technology changes quickly and effects almost every aspect of life and career. Personal and cultural competativeness often relies on the ability to understand and integrate technology in work and life.

However, there are drawbacks to vocational education. It does little to educate people in analytical or critical thinking, nor does it instruct students in humanities or arts. The average community college A.A.S. degree has only one 3 credit hour humanities requirement in a total of 64-69 credit hours. This must be chosen from the broad subjects of history, art, and literature. Few logic or critical thinking classes are even offered at the A.A.S. level. Therefore, when a student finally holds that degree in their hands, hard-won though it is, they are still unfamiliar with some of the most important information we have. The arts, literature, and history represent not only who we are, but who we have been and who we are becoming. A culture that limits itself to the business of the here and now often forgets the greatness of what it was and tends to repeat past mistakes. Another often overlooked consideration in vocational education is the need of government, especially a democratic republic such as ours, to draw legislators, leaders, and judicial officials straight from the general population. If the majority of people have only a vociational education, then that society might have a difficult time finding qualified people to govern and legislate.

General education is more complete but can be out of reach to many Americans. It takes significantly longer and is more expensive than vocational education. A student who concentrates on general education classes at the undergraduate level and professional training at the Master's and PhD level commits themselves to years more study, tuition, and part-time or non-employment. As a result, many professionals tend to be wealthier people who can afford to stay in school more than 2-4 years and recieve a thorough education. This can have a direct impact on society. Once a person earns that PhD, they are qualified to join professional organizations in important disciplines, such as the A.M.A., the Bar Association, and others. Society often looks to these organizations to interpret and guide such issues as legal theories, medical trends, even ethics. They influence the public and policy. If members of these organizations are not diverse enough, their voices become narrow and only represent a certain part of society, often wealthy, that limits their ability to be relevent to anyone but themselves.

Critical thinking and analysis are the most valuable parts of general education. When joined with humanities and the arts, the student aquires a broad base of knowledge that can be drawn from for making important decisions throughout their lifetime. The result of general education is the student who can see fallacies of argument, has the ability to look beyond the rhetoric of a well-written speech, and can identify trends that are potentially harmful. The more broadly people are able to think, the more likely they are to reach their full potential and contribute their talents to society. That should be the motivation and goal of any educational program.

These are the issues that must be considered when planning higher education, whether an A.A.S. or a PhD. In an age when education is sometimes taken for granted, it may be wise to step back and carefully consider what education is for. Whether to teach a job skill or broaden the whole mind, education is always a good thing, but it is the extent that education adds to individual lives and society as a whole that sometimes gets lost. We know we should continue our education, but to what end? A good job? Perhaps it should be much more than that. For the minority or female student it could be a civic duty to continue their education as far as possible, a commitment to their peers that they will have representation in society and government. For the patriotic student, post-graduate studies could be as important to the country as serving in the military when used in local or federal government; an alternative call to service. For students who want to ensure justice for those with no voice at all, such as immigrants, children, and the elderly, higher education could be the path of personal fulfillment and a life that has meaning. The possibilities are endless.